


A Jarring and Dissonant Thing

by ScarlettFAngell



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury, Boba Fett Needs A Hug, Canon-Typical Violence, Din Djarin Needs a Hug, Din's armour has been stolen, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Needs A Hug, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Injury Recovery, Kidnapping, King Boba Fett, Kissing, Light Dom/sub, M/M, Mand'alor Din, Murder princess Din, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Season/Series 02, Protective Boba Fett, Protective Paz Vizsla, Rape Recovery, Revenge, Slavery, The Helmet Comes Off (for Din and Paz), Theft, Touch-starved Paz, Undercover, Undercover Missions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-11 22:53:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29375232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScarlettFAngell/pseuds/ScarlettFAngell
Summary: Din hasn’t been home in a few months and Boba’s starting to worry. When Paz--one of Din’s covert friends--shows up asking to see him, they quickly realise that Din’s been kidnapped and must work together to rescue him and help him recover. Neither one expected to fall in love with each other in the process.
Relationships: Boba Fett & Fennec Shand, Boba Fett & Peli Motto, Boba Fett/Paz Vizsla, Din Djarin & Fennec Shand, Din Djarin & Peli Motto, Din Djarin/Boba Fett, Din Djarin/Boba Fett/Paz Vizsla, Din Djarin/Paz Vizsla, Paz Vizsla & Peli Motto
Comments: 14
Kudos: 106





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> So, uh, you can blame the mando discord server for this. You guys know who you are. XD
> 
> Please heed the tags! And if I forgot any, please let me know!

**One**

**_The core dignitary was starting_** to bore him. Boba knew Fennec could tell and she was not so subtly sharpening his blade in full view of the poor man. He couldn’t care less for the way that the man’s eyes kept darting towards her. It would’ve amused him if he wasn’t irritated and bored out of his damn mind. Mando had gone off to visit the kid and then on a hunt, and Boba was getting irritated. Din had said he’d be a few weeks but it had been over a month. Nearly two, in fact. And Skywalker had sent him a message after Din’s visit. But that hadn’t told him much about anything that Din was planning, just that Din was hunting a bounty and would be a few weeks.

Now, nearly two months later, he was mildly amused by a disturbance near the door to the throne room. Boba glanced past the dignitary, catching sight of a blue-armour clad Mandalorian storming down the stairs and into the room. Boba raised an eyebrow, hand going to the helmet sitting on the arm of the throne by his elbow. Fennec tensed beside him as the Mando stalked right towards him, the crowd parting before him. The poor dignitary whimpered when the big beaker-clad man stopped right behind him, t-visor well above the man’s head and locked on Boba.

“Where is he?” the Mando demanded and Boba eased back in his seat, keeping his face carefully blank as he took in the larger man’s bulk and armour. Mostly a dark, steely blue with lighter blue accents on the helmet and touches of orange in the left gauntlet and knee, and the right boot. A heavy blaster cannon was slung over his shoulder.

“Who?” Boba asked, playing stupid just in case this man wasn’t a friend of Din’s.

That seemed to piss him off and the Mando grabbed the dignitary by the back of his pretty jacket, yanked him back and took two heavy steps closer. “You know exactly who I’m talking about, Fett. Where is our Mand’alor?”

He tensed and sent a look over the court before he gave the core dignitary a dismissive glance before gesturing to Fennec. “We’re done here,” he said, almost lazily. “Everyone out.”

If this Mando was asking about Din as their Mand’alor, then he wasn’t a threat. Not to Din, anyway. Might be to him, but he’ll take the risk.

Fennec nodded and hopped off the throne’s arm, ushering everyone out. Boba lazily stood up, collecting his helmet and tucking it under his arm before jerking his head to the doorway back behind the throne, almost hidden in the shadows.

“Come with me,” he said and the Mando tensed. “We can talk more in private.”

The Mando seemed to consider him for a moment before he inclined his head and gestured for Boba to lead the way. He turned and headed down for the passageway, hearing the man’s solid footsteps behind him. They echoed off the walls as Boba led them through the maze to his rooms, pausing only to open the door. He gave the big Mando a considering look. He was only a few inches taller than Boba, but stars was he _thick_.

The Mando grunted and stalked into the room, quickly assessing the room as Boba entered and turned to lock the door behind him once it closed. He turned to find the Mando’s helmet turned towards him, the big guy all tense and clearly wary.

“Now we can talk,” Boba said, moving to casually set his helmet down on a nearby bench, reaching for the decanter of Spotchka nearby, not bothering to turn around. “You can take your helmet off in here...or not. If you’re from the same creed as Din, I imagine not.”

“You know his name?” the big guy asked, sounding almost surprised.

Boba turned slowly to look him over, raising an eyebrow before he shifted to lean back against his makeshift bar with an amused little smile. “Yes. Is that such a surprise to you?”

“Yes,” the Mando ground out, crossing his arms. “He would not trust you with that...”

“He trusts me enough to see his face.”

The big guy froze, tension in every line of his beskar-clad body. “What.”

It wasn’t a question, but Boba decided to answer it anyway. “After we finished with our mission on Morak, he showed me his face. And then again, after our hit on the imperial cruiser.” He lifted a shoulder in a half-shrug and turned to pour himself a drink, hesitated and then poured one for the other man, too. “He was lost. Bo-Katan didn’t want the saber, Gideon was in New Republic hands and a fucking Jedi had the kid. What did you expect from him?”

“ _Shabuir,”_ the Mando muttered and Boba heard the tell-tale hiss of a helmet being removed. He didn’t turn around as he finished pouring the drinks and set the decanter back in its place. “You can look... If Din trusts you, you can look.”

Boba turned slowly, a glass in each hand. He was not prepared for the pretty face that greeted him, blinking slightly. Dark eyes, dark reddish hair that looked like it hadn’t been washed in weeks—which it probably hadn’t—and skin with a slight...hue to it, blue maybe? Possibly purple? It was hard for Boba to tell in the current lighting and he doubted the man would let himself be examined in natural light. And fucking hell, there were freckles dusted across his well-defined cheekbones. Boba had to take a moment to clear his throat and set aside the attraction he felt for the taller man. Now was not the time.

“Drink?” he offered, holding out the glass. The Mando tucked his helmet under one arm and took the few steps needed to take the glass from him, fingers brushing. “Now. Why do you want to know where my _cyar'ika_ is?”

That made the other man pause. “ _Cyar'ika?”_ he questioned in surprise, raising an eyebrow at Boba. “Nevermind. How long since you saw him last?”

He eyed him warily and took a sip of his Spotchka to buy time. “Nearly two months. Figured he was still tracking his bounty...but he’s never taken this long before.”

The pretty Mando frowned and downed his drink before holding the glass out towards Boba. He took it and turned to pour the man another drink without a word. Frankly, the conversation definitely needed to involve some alcohol. Boba exhaled, listening to the man behind him as he started to pace.

“No one has heard from him since then?”

“The _Jetti_ passed on a message about a week after he left but that was it. I haven’t seen or heard from him since.”

Boba turned back just at the Mando came to a stop a foot away from him. He just gave him a quick once over then held out the glass.

“So,” the big guy said slowly, watching Boba watch him. “It’s safe to say he’s missing?”

He scowled. “Yes.”

“He got any enemies?” The Mando paused and gave Boba a pointed look. “ _You_ got any enemies?”

Boba sighed. “Too many,” he said and then nodded to the other man. “Din, though? Wouldn’t think so. He makes most people like him far too quickly, _certain people_ aside.”

The big guy chuckled, taking the glass. Their fingers brushed again and the big guy blinked a little stupidly at him, flushing slightly. Boba decided to blame that on the alcohol. _Definitely_ the alcohol. He let his now-empty hand drop and picked up his half-empty glass again, tilting his head as he watched the Mando down his drink in one big swallow again. His gaze lingered on the man’s throat—what he could see of it, anyway—and the man’s Adam’s apple, the way he swallowed... And fucking hell, but that should not had been as hot as it was. Boba swallowed thickly and sipped his drink, hiding his blatant admiration behind the action.

“Your enemies?” the Mando asked, having finished his drink. Boba glanced up and gestured vaguely with one hand. The big guy’s eyes narrowed.

“Numerous. Lotta people don’t like me taking over the Hutt empire.” He shrugged and smirked, amused. “Too fucking bad. That shitty Hutt owed me.”

The other man chuckled, a low and husky thing. “I see,” he said and nodded, turning to pace away from Boba, giving him a great view of the man’s back and ass. He had to tear his gaze off of said ass as the big Mando set the glass down and pulled his helmet out from beneath his arm. “Got a ship?”

“Yes.” He frowned. Where was he going with that question?

“Where’s it parked?”

Boba sighed. “Mos Eisley. Hangar 3-5. Please don’t hurt Peli. She’s a friend of Din’s.” He cleared his throat. “He always uses her hangar. Said she’s the only one he’d trust to touch his ship.”

The big guy turned to look at him and nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he said and pulled the helmet back on, a soft hissing signalling that it was sealed again. “Gives me somewhere to start. If the ship’s not there, I need to know where Din went—“

“Yavin 4. Don’t kill the _Jetti_. Din’ll be upset—he went through a lot to find him.”

“Noted.” The Mando turned towards him and nodded again, rubbing his hands together and then pulling his blaster to double-check it. “By the way... Name’s Paz. Paz Vizsla.”

“Boba Fett, but you knew that.” He gave the man a wry smile. “Keep me updated. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Nice to finally meet you, Fett.”

Boba inclined his head. “Good hunting.”

Paz chuckled and then swept out the door. He had it set to unlock for his guest upon his decision to exit and watched that large, tight ass disappear out into the hallway with a little sigh. So Din was missing and Paz was clearly somewhat close to him... Interesting. He’d have to warn Fennec about him, but knowing her... She probably already knew.

——

It took Paz two days to hunt down what happened. Boba wasn’t surprised it had taken a bit, but he _was_ surprised to see the big guy toss a body down the steps and into the throne room while supporting an only barely conscious Peli Motto. He looked down at the body as it rolled to a stop against the grating in the floor and then back up to Paz, raising an eyebrow. He wasn’t wearing his helmet today either and the court was angsty about the sudden reappearance of the blue Mando.

“Is this your way of presenting gifts?” Boba drawled in amusement, gesturing for Fennec to go collect the injured woman from Paz. She moved to help without hesitation, gently taking Peli’s arm over her shoulders. “Or are you just happy to see me?”

Paz sent him a glare over Fennec’s head as he helped settle the woman against her before letting go. He clearly opted to ignore Boba’s attempts at humour. “There’s a symbol on his chest. Recognise it?”

The crowd in the room shifted as he stood, taking careful, measured steps over to the dead man before kneeling to yank the shirt open. Paz was right; there was a symbol on the man’s chest. One he’d hoped to never see again. Boba ground his teeth together and glanced up, anger flooding through him.

“Everyone,” he said as evenly as possible. “Get out.”

They fled as fast as possible, and he waited until the room was empty before he stiffly got to his feet and kicked the body.

“Black Sun,” Boba hissed, pacing away from the dead man and Paz. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

Paz grunted and lowered himself down onto the floor, sitting with one leg bent and the other stretched out. Boba glanced over at him and then went back to the body, grabbing it by the chin to study the bruised, bloody face. It was only vaguely familiar to him, in the sort of sense that he might’ve seen the man in passing. He snorted in displeasure and shoved at it, straightening up.

“I think he may have been in the palace before,” he said softly, carefully. “Which means they had people watching me...” he hissed and sent a quick, coded message to Fennec warning her of that and turned just as a little pit droid stumbled down the steps, chittering worried. He pulled his blaster in it before registering it was probably Peli’s. “Fucking hell. This is a mess.”

“Don’t shoot the fucking droid, Fett,” Paz muttered and he lowered the blaster, glancing over. “It’s... Peli’s. She said... Mando got back about a month and a half ago. Then these assholes showed up.” He nodded to the dead man. “This one was keeping her in her hangar, like a fucking slave...”

Boba growled and put the blaster away. The droid skittered off into the shadows. “Fucking piece of shit—“

“They took him,” the big guy said, so softly that Boba almost missed it. “She said they took him... Removed his armour. Beat him badly, too...”

“They _what?”_

Paz just looked up at him. Boba stared back. If what Paz was saying was true... They took Din, stripped him of his armour... Stars knew what else they’d done to him. Fuck. He growled and turned away, pacing angrily.

“I can’t just storm in there,” he ground out, fury rising. Boba needed to stay on his throne. His rule was still too new, too fragile. If he left to hunt them down, even with Fennec on the throne... Fuck. Fucking fuck. He couldn’t leave.

“It wasn’t a fair fight.”

That brought him up short and he turned to watch Paz carefully. The other man hand removed his leg armour and was carefully inspecting his left leg, not looking at him.

“What?”

“It wasn’t a fair fight,” he repeated and glanced up, the helmet’s T-visor fixed on him. “If they’d known about the saber... But I don’t think they knew. It wasn’t a fair fight, Fett.”

Din was still Mand’alor. They hadn’t taken it from him, hadn’t targeted him for that reason. No one but he and Fennec, Cara and the bitch had known. Gideon, sure, but he was rotting in a New Republic prison... And, apparently, Paz knew. Bo-Katan had probably spread the word to any Mandalorians she could find—they had a new king. Boba exhaled heavily and nodded.

“So they didn’t want him for the saber...”

“No,” Paz agreed softly and then hissed, jerking his hand away from his leg. Boba could see the blood seeping through the thick cloth of his pant leg and sighed.

“Grab the beskar,” he said, moving to offer the other man a hand up. “You’re injured. Let me help, do something I know that I can do right now.”

The big guy seemed to hesitate for a moment before he grabbed Boba’s arm and hauled himself upright, pausing momentarily to grab his discarded armour pieces.

“Think it’ll probably need stitches,” the man muttered, leaning heavily against Boba.

He snorted. “I can get you something better than stitches.”

Together, they headed off towards Boba’s room, as if by some silent agreement. Boba didn’t question it and Paz was keeping his mouth shut. He was starting to really like the big guy, especially after being trusted with his face. That was a big deal to Din’s covert, considering what Din had told him about them. Granted, he’d thought they were all dead or scattered to the stars, but still. The sentiment was there. Boba had respected it, as much as he could, anyway.

Boba opened the door and hauled him through into the room, dumping Paz on the couch by the low table. Paz grunted and then started stripping off the rest of his armour while Boba went off to find the medkit.

He’d just returned when Paz spoke up.

“I know where they are.”

Boba froze, breath catching. Paz knew where Black Sun were? Where Din was?

“Where?” he asked, nearly demanding an answer as he joined Paz on the couch and tossed the medkit aside to help him with his chest plate.

“Western Dune Sea somewhere,” Paz said and groaned as he set aside the heavy canon before leaning forward so Boba could get the backplate off as well. “Dead guy said something about a cave or a complex? I... wasn’t really listening by that point and then Peli had my blaster.” He laughed, amused. “She shot him in the dick.”

Boba snorted. “I see. So you don’t have an exact location?”

“Unfortunately, no,” he replied and exhaled as Bova set aside both plates carefully, resting a hand on Paz’s upper back. “But I’ve worked with less. I’ll find him, I swear.”

He picked up the medkit. “I know.” He hesitated, offering it out to the other man. “Want me to stay or are you good if I leave you here and go check on Motto? See if she can give us any more hints?”

Paz grunted, taking the kit. “Go. I’ll be fine.”

Boba got up and stood there, watching him warily as Paz carefully lifted his foot up onto the table and started rolling up his pant leg. “You sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Go.”

He nodded and headed for the door, glancing back as it was closing to catch Paz removing his helmet and opening the kit. Boba swallowed thickly and went to find Fennec and Peli in the medbay.

——

He found Fennec tending to a deep laceration across Peli’s back when he walk in and nearly turned on his heels to leave before they noticed him. Fennec was faster, because of course she was.

“What did the big guy say?” she asked, carefully applying some navy’s before glancing over at him. Boba scowled and stepped into the room, setting his helmet down carefully—he’d realised he’d forgotten it in his haste to get Paz somewhere private so the man could tend his wounds, and had circled back through the throne room to grab it.

“Western Dune Sea somewhere,” he said, moving to grab more bacta for Fennec. “Not sure of the exact location but the dead guy mentioned some kind of cave or complex.”

“Complex,” Peli muttered lowly and Boba glanced over. “It’s a complex, set into a rock face. He wouldn’t shut up about it. Kept saying you’d never find it.”

Boba chuckled. “Then he was an idiot to talk about it with you around.”

“S’why I shot him in the dick,” the mechanic told him, turning her head slightly. “He said some....really nasty shit... Something about how Mando fought hard but not hard enough.” She grimaced. “I don’t...really wanna know what he meant by that, to be honest.”

That made dread settle in his gut. He knew what owners often did to slaves... And he didn’t want to think about what they’d done to Din, either. Especially not after what Peli had just told him.

“Don’t worry,” he told her lowly. “We’ll get him back.”

She nodded and hunched in on herself more. Boba studied the wounds across her back for a moment, quickly realised that they were from a whip and then backed off, moving to stand in a corner as Fennec tended to the poor woman. They'd had him nearly two months. Two fucking months. Boba was furious, but he couldn't do anything. Not yet, not right now. First, he needed to make sure Din's friend was okay, then to make sure the big Mando was okay. He caught Fennec glancing at him and nodded. She knew neither of them could leave just now, which left him frustrated. He wanted to hunt, wanted to hurt whoever had put hands on Din, wanted to make them pay for daring to take one of Boba's favourite people. He should have known it wouldn't take someone long to snatch one of his people. He should have warned Din...but he hadn't. Instead, he'd let Din do what he wanted, let him go hunting.

He sighed, shifting slightly in his corner. It made Fennec send him another look. "What?"

"If you're going to sulk," she said, sounding only slightly amused. "Do it elsewhere."

"Fine," he grunted and pushed off the wall, heading for the door. "I'll go check on Paz, then."

Fennec snorted, but it was Peli who spoke; "The big blue Mando?"

He paused, glancing back at her. "Yeah."

"Huh. Tell him thanks for me, okay?"

Boba watched her for a moment then nodded. "Sure."

With that, he stepped out into the hall and headed off again. He had a lot of things to do and top of that list was to check on Paz, make sure he didn't need anything. Then he and Paz needed to plot how to find and get Din back.


	2. Two

**Two**

**_Paz was not prepared_ ** for what he'd find in the dingy little cell at the end of the hall. It had taken him weeks to track the gang down and hours to torture Din's location out of the dozen or so grunts that had been left to watch him. It became very apparent, very quickly, that their boss was not in the complex. It was not a large compound, but it was complex and deep. 

He grunted, attempting to force the door again. It wouldn't budge. Paz growled lowly and kicked the door. It was as it had been described to him; built into the rockface, a maze of dark, damp hallways and rooms, doors that wouldn't lock, doors that wouldn't open and yet more stacked full of spice and weaponry. Paz would be sending some of Boba's people back to claim all of it. 

There were even other slaves, some dead, some dying, some healthy. He'd freed the ones that he could, convinced them to stay while he removed their chips before letting them go.

He was not prepared for the door to Din's cell to be locked, was not prepared to have to battle a door just to get it open. Paz backed up, glowering at the door. He drew his viroblade, took one menacing step towards the door and jammed it into the space where the door met the wall, wriggling it. 

"Fucking open," he grumbled, twisting slightly. "Piece of fucking shit!"

It suddenly popped open with a little hiss and Paz wiggled his fingers into the gap, carefully avoiding the blade as he yanked it free and tucked it away. It slid open with the harsh sound of stone-on-stone--a harsh, loud shrieking-grating sound. Paz winced as he finally got it open and turned to peer into the darkness. There was a limp shape against the far wall, and Paz fumbled along the wall for the light switch. He flicked it on to find Din, completely naked, and laying against the wall, wrists secured together to the wall above his head with thick rope. He didn't look like he was breathing.

Paz sucked in a sharp breath, quickly moving to the other man's side, crouching beside him. There were dark bruises all up and down his sides, cuts and burns marring his skin, even-- No. No, he was not going to look too closely at what was between Din's thighs. Din was kneeling, ankles tied to his thighs, the ropes leaving burn marks and chaffing on his skin. Paz swallowed thickly and gently cupped Din's chin, lifting it slightly.

"Din?" he breathed and the other man's eyelids flickered. Paz shifted to press a hand to Din's chest, then yanked off his helmet and laid an ear against the least damaged section of skin, exhaling carefully. Din was breathing, he was alive. Thank the fucking stars. "Din? Stars... Din, please be okay."

Din, of course, did not reply, but Paz didn't expect him to. He gently guided Din's chin back down and shifted up onto his knees to start cutting through the ropes holding the other man's hands and arms up over his head. It took him a moment, but they finally came free and he lowered them carefully, gingerly working the rope free from Din's wrists. If the grunts weren't all dead, he would've killed them all over again. He was furious. How dare they--

"Fuck," Paz whispered, squeezing his eyes shut. He took a moment to compose himself and went back to carefully removing the ropes. Din's wrists were ripped to hell and back, drying blood and what looked to be semi-clear liquid weeping out of the wounds. They were probably infected. He turned his attention to the ropes binding his legs and swore. Paz carefully started cutting through those as well, trying not to nick Din. 

Eventually, that rope came free as well and Paz started to gently, gingerly remove it. It took time to free him from his bondage, but it was worth it. When he was finally free of the ropes, Paz picked up his helmet and pulled it back on before carefully lifting Din up, one arm beneath his knees and the other supporting his back. He'd need to find Din's armour before he left, along with his weapons.

Paz found the spear in one of the storage rooms and only Din's left vambrace. He decided to call that a win and return to Boba's palace with Din. But first, he decided to wrap him up in a thick blanket to hide his nakedness and the extent of his injuries. No one needed to see that, not outside of himself, Boba and Fennec--and maybe Peli.

\----

He stepped down into the throne room carefully, keeping Din cradled close to his chest, Din's head against his shoulder. The ride back on Boba's ship had been tense and Paz had found it hard to focus, but he'd managed. The beskar speak was attached to his back and Din's vambrace was set in his lap. He looked across the room and saw the moment Boba spotted them. He stood and crossed the room at a fast walk, ignoring everyone, even as the crowd parted for him.

"Medbay," Boba said, "now."

Paz didn't even fight the order as the other man turned away. He turned and followed, being careful with Din as they walked down the narrow hallways. Neither of them wanted to hurt Din more than he'd already been hurt, and Paz could tell Boba was furious. The other man's back was rigid and he kept clenching and unclenching his fists. Paz decided not to comment on it and just kept following Fett.

They reached the medbay quickly and Paz moved to set Din down on the bunk carefully while Boba started pulling supplies out of the cupboard on the other side of the room. He kept Din wrapped up and pulled his helmet off, then his glove so he could lay a hand against Din's unmarred cheek.

"How bad is it?" Boba asked, joining him by the bunk. Paz set the helmet down on the nearby bench and glanced over. 

"Bad," he said, voice hoarse. "I... I don't know how bad...didn't want to look too closely."

Boba swore softly and started sorting through the medkit. "Let me guess... Anything I could imagine them doing to a slave," he said slowly, gaze darting to Din's bruised and bloody face. "They did to Din?"

"Pretty much."

"Fuck." He swallowed and paused for a moment, just staring down at his hands. "Fuck. Did they...?"

"I think so," Paz said quietly, watching Din's face. He looked horrible in the medbay's lighting, and Paz had to steel himself for the next step. He started to unwrap Din, taking the vambrace and setting it aside before he peeled the blanket away from his chest. "That's all I could find of his armour, Fett..." He nodded to the vambrace. "And his spear. I don't know where the saber is, I don't know where his other weapons are, his boots, his clothes... Any of it."

"Din is going to be so pissed when he finds out someone took his armour," Boba replied, just as quietly. Paz nodded, watching Din's face again. He didn't want to look at the burns and whip marks, the little cuts and abrasions, the rope burn... It was too much. "What else did you find?"

"Spice, supplies, weapons. I've already made notes on a datapad and handed it off to Fennec."

"A nice haul," the other man muttered, turning to tuck the blanket down beside Din so he could see his injuries properly. Boba hissed. "Fuck... They whipped him, burned him..."

"Did worse than that, Fett," he said, nodding lower and shifting so that the other man could get in close to tend to their Mand'alor's wounds. "I'm worried for Din's mental state."

"So am I."

They fell silent as Boba tended to Din's injuries, swearing every now and then as he discovered some new transgression against his beloved. Paz remained as a quiet, steady presence and as a second pair of hands if and when Boba needed help. Neither of them liked what they were seeing and it was causing their anger to rise, but both managed to keep them tempers. Boba more so than Paz could.

That's where Fennec found them a few hours later. She paused in the doorway when he and Boba glanced up, and then stepped into the room. The door closed behind her and Boba turned back to one of the injuries on Din's lower leg, a nasty looking cut that was definitely infected. Paz contemplated getting his helmet and putting it back on but decided he couldn't be bothered. If Boba trusted her, then Paz would trust her.

"How bad is he?" she asked, moving to join Fett and help him with the injury by holding Din's leg still. Paz stayed by Din's head, carefully touching him, skin-to-skin. "Oh, fuck."

"Bad," Boba said lowly and Fennec hissed out a breath.

"No shit. Fucking hell... What did they  _ do  _ to him?"

"Torture," Paz muttered, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "I don't want to really think about...the other part."

"I don't blame you." She looked at the vambrace then at Paz and the spear he still had attached to his back. "Where's the rest of his gear?"

"I don't know. This is all I found."

Fennec was silent for a moment as she absorbed that, then sent him a sharp look. "He's not gonna be happy about that."

"No, he's not."

"Can you two keep your voices down?" Boba hissed and Paz glanced down at where he was bent over the deep laceration he was stitching closed. "I don't want him to wake up yet. I know I gave him a hypo, but who knows what will trigger him in this state and I don't want to risk raised voices."

"I understand," Paz said, keeping his voice low. He hadn't even realised he and Fennec were being too loud.

Fennec pulled back. "I'm gonna go comm Skywalker," she said and then turned and left.

Paz watched her go, then turned back to Fett. He didn't know what else to do except offer what little comfort he could to Din and watch Boba work. And frankly, that was all Boba seemed to expect him to do. Paz could be supportive when he needed to, and Din definitely needed that from him now.

\----

They ended up back in Fett’s room with Din settled into Fett’s bed, thick, soft blankets pulled up over him. Paz sat on one side, sans armour, with his hand on Din’s shoulder. Boba sat on the other, methodically clearing Din’s only remaining piece of armour—the vambrace. He was trying to ignore the other man and remain a calm, reassuring presence for Din but he was still just so angry and was swiftly losing that battle.

“If I had a fucking bacta tank,” Fett muttered lowly, almost darkly, “then he’d be in there by now.”

Paz hummed a non-committal response as watched Din’s face. They’d done what they could with the supplies they had but there was only so much that bacta spray could do.

“Can’t believe the slimy fucking hutt didn’t have one... Fucking cheapskate...”

The bruises on Din’s cheek were less harsh, more yellow-green than the deep blue-black-purple they’d been when he’d found him. He supposed that was progress. They wouldn’t truly know how Din was until he woke up and he’d been basically catatonic since Paz found him. He figured that Din had been beaten within hours of his arrival, which would probably explain the lack of response he’d gotten initially. Din had probably been barely conscious at that point. And...the... What had been between Din’s legs had been...still wet, fresh. Paz had been tempted to figure out which one it’d been and go off to fucking castrate the bastard. But no, Boba had seen the look in his eyes and told him to follow him.

And that was what led them to the current situation. Studiously ignoring each other while sticking close to Din so they could offer comfort.

Paz shifted, adjusting the way he was sitting and eventually ended up leaning against the wall with Din’s head resting against his thigh while he gingerly stroked his pretty curly hair. He frowned and glanced over at Fett.

“You have a ‘fresher in here somewhere?”

Boba nodded to a door on the far wall. “In there.”

“You got a tub in there?”

The other man went very still, watching him closely and Paz grimaced.

“It’d be....crude,” he said slowly, thoughtfully, “but if we mixed some bacta in with some warm water...would that help? Let him soak in the tub for a bit? It’d be diluted but s’better than nothing, right?”

Boba frowned, glancing towards the door and back again, then down at the bruising marring Don’s face. “It’s worth a shot,” he said and got up, gently setting the vambrace down on the bedside table before he commed Fennec to get her ass to his room and bring some bacta with her. Paz watched him head for the ‘fresher. “I’ll start running the water.”

He disappeared into the ‘fresher, which left Paz alone with Din. He swallowed thickly and gently brushed curls out of Din’s face, carefully avoiding the bruises. “Just hold on a little longer, al’verde...just a little longer.”

Fennec stormed into the room with an armful of bacta tubes. She looked at him then Din, then the rest of the room. “Where is he?”

Paz gestured to the ‘fresher. “In there.”

She squinted at him warily then stalked off into the ‘fresher. He listened to them arguing in low voices for a moment and then Fett reappeared, sans his own armour with his shirt sleeves rolled up. Paz figured Fennec was sorting out their impromptu bacta bath.

“Right. Let’s get him into the ‘fresher, then.”

Paz nodded and shifted Don’s head back down onto the pillow. He stood and picked Din up bridal style, being extra careful of the other man’s injuries. Boba turned and disappeared back into the room before he reached it.

Fennec was adding the last of the bacta to the tub when he stopped just inside the door, aware of just how naked Din was and how exposed he felt without his armour on. She didn’t seem to care and Boba was busy fiddling with the taps. He cleared his throat.

“Someone needs to get in the tub with him,” Fennec said, not looking at either of them. “Gotta keep his head above the surface so he doesn’t drown, though a quick dip under will help the bruising on his face.”

Paz looked at Boba and Boba looked right back at him. Fennec finished up with the tube of bacta and stood, picking up the rest of the empty tubes. An awkward silence filled the room for a moment as Paz realised that Fennec was bowing out of the task. Which left it to him...or Fett. And they didn’t really trust each other. Fuck.

“I’ll let you two figure this out,” she said and stalked back out.

Boba looked away first. “You do it,” he said, flicking a hand at him. “I can probably monitor from the bedroom or something.”

Paz swallowed thickly. “Maybe you should stay in here...just in case he wakes up.”

They stared at each other again, awkward and unsure, and then Boba nodded. Paz released the breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding.

“I can stay.”

“Okay.”

They fell silent, just staring at each other again. Paz looked away first, clearing his throat. Boba made a strangled sort of noise and promptly sat on the wide edge of the tub. He glanced over at it, taking in the blue tint to the water and the steam rising from the surface. He might as well get on with it.

He sighed and shifted to lower Din into the tub, carefully handing him off to Fett when the man sat beside him. "Keep his head up while I...uh, er, get this off."

Fett nodded and Paz stepped away to start stripping down. He ignored Fett and Fett ignored him, sort of. He knew the man was watching him but couldn't quite bring himself to watch back, keeping his eyes averted as he stripped with quick, efficient movements. Once naked, he quickly stepped down into the tub and took Din back from Boba, shifting to lean back against the edge of the tub--it was deep and the water actually felt really pleasant against his skin. He studiously did not look at Fett as he settled Din's head against his shoulder and let him float in the bacta-infused water.

Paz felt himself relaxing slowly, inch by terrifying inch. He could feel Fett watching him, could feel Din's dirty, messy hair against his shoulder. He tried very hard not to think too much about where he was or with who, or what he was doing. That Boba fucking Fett, kingpin of a criminal underworld gang, was watching him. Instead, Paz focused on helping Din by adjusting how he was floating against him so he could gently cup water over their Mand'alor's head, trying to wash the dirt and grim and blood out of it.

Din barely stirred, twitching only slightly whenever water trickled over his face. Paz tried to keep the water out of Din's eyes and mostly succeeded. Eventually, he was able to get the blood and dirt out of Din's hair, the water finally running clear--or as clear as it could. He exhaled and leaned back, supporting Din's head while letting him float in the bacta-water.

"That looks better already," Fett said and Paz flinched. He'd almost forgotten the other man was there. "How's he doing?"

Paz glanced over and swallowed thickly. "He's breathing evenly, so I suppose that's progress?"

Boba hummed, frowning at him. "I suppose so. Won't know for sure until he wakes up."

He fell silent and Boba started humming to himself. Paz fought very hard not to look towards him, focusing instead on Din. The bruises on his face were slowly looking better and better, so he supposed that was a good sign. Eventually, they'd have to move Din back into the bedroom, so for now, Paz would happily bask in the presence of his Mand'alor and a very dangerous Boba Fett.


End file.
